Plastic containers and cover closures therefor

ABSTRACT

A resilient plastic container and a cover therefor with interlocking engagement at the periphery of the cover and the container, wherein the edge of the container is in an inverted Uform having an outer member with a terminal outstanding rim and an abutment in spaced relation; said cover including a U-shaped trough having an outer member terminating in a flat flange extending outwardly with a downturned extension having a rearwardly facing projection for snapping in under the abutment on the container in closed position of the cover therewith; and an interiorly directed bead on the container for frictional engagement with the outer element of said U-shaped channel at the periphery of the cover.

United States Patent [7 2] Inventor Sandro Clementi 928 West St.,Leominster, Mass. 01453 [2]] Appl. No. 35,032 [22] Filed May 6, 1970[45] Patented Sept. 28, 1971 [54] PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND COVER CLOSURESTHEREFOR 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 220/60 R, 220/97 F [51] Int. Cl .t B65d 43/10 [50] Field ofSearch 220/60 R, 97 C, 97 F; 229/1 .5 B, 43

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,256,975 6/1966 Puente220/60 R X 3,373,896 3/1968 Davis 220/60 R 3,474,928 10/1969 Hurtt220/60 R 3,510,023 5/1970 Ullman et al. 220/60 R FOREIGN PATENTS1,025,316 4/1966 Great Britain 220/6 R Primary Examiner-George E.Lowrance Attorney-Charles R. Fay

ABSTRACT: A resilient plastic container and a cover therefor withinterlocking engagement at the periphery of the cover and the container,wherein the edge of the container is in an inverted U-form having anouter member with a terminal outstanding rim and an abutment in spacedrelation; said cover including a U-shaped trough having an outer memberterminating in a flat flange extending outwardly with a downturnedextension having a rearwardly facing projection for snapping in underthe abutment on the container in closed position of the cover therewith;and an interiorly directed bead on the container for frictionalengagement with the outer element of said U-shaped channel at theperiphery of the cover.

sz *n n PATENTEU SEP28 m INVENTOR. @h M PLASTIC CONTAINERS AND COVERCLOSURES THEREFOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many differentconstructions have been provided in an attempt to provide plasticcontainers with covers which will not accidentally open for instancewhen dropped; but most attempts have been failures in that the plasticmaterial is of course flexible and resilient and when the container isfull of relatively heavy material and falls from an appreciable heightany snap-in interengagement in the prior art between the upper edge ofthe container and the rim of the cover is very apt to spring loose.

Otherwise actual locks or latches are necessary, some of them beingseparate and external, etc., but in any case relatively cumbersome andexpensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the general object of this invention toprovide a relatively simple cover having closure means relative to thetop rim or edge of the container, which will not become loose undervibration or under the shock of dropping; and to this end the novelcontainer is provided with a bottom and a sidewall, the sidewallterminating in an inverted U-shaped flange having several differentparts. Extending from the sidewall of the container at the topmost edgethereof there is an outwardly extending generally flat annular flangeterminating in a downward extension, the latter terminating in anoutwardly extending member or foot, there being an abutment at thejunction of the downward extension extending radially outwardly.

The cover comprises a main body portion, a surrounding U- shaped portionhaving an inner element and an outer element that are connected, a flatflange extending radially outwardly from the top edge of said outermember and terminating in a downwardly extending element having arearwardly directed projection thereon for snapping under the abutmentof the container edge, the sidewall having a bead in a position tofrictionally engage the outer element of the U-shaped member of theclosure structure of the cover.

The terminal member or foot of the container edge extends at least asfar outwardly as does the final downward extension on the cover, andtogether with the inverted U-shaped construction located inwardlythereof, acts as a bumper guard and also as an annular handle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a view in elevationillustrating the invention with the cover in engaged relation on thecontainer, and

HO. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale showing two containers nested,the upper container having its cover applied thereto.

PREFERRED EMBODlMENT OF THE lNVENTlON As shown in FIG. 1, the presentinvention comprises a molded plastic container and a cover membertherefore at 12. The container has a bottom 14 and a connected sidewall16. The sidewall 16 adjacent the top thereof extends slightly outwardlyas shown at 18 in FIG. 2 and then rises on an incline to terminate in aninverted U-shaped construction comprising an inner element 20 and anoutwardly extended connected flangelike element 22 and a downwardextension 24 spaced from the element 20. The downward extension 24terminates in an outwardly extending flange or foot 26. There is anoutstanding annular abutment 28 at the junction of the outwardlyextending element 22 and the downward extension 24 but this does notextend outwardly to the extent of the outwardly extending flange or foot26. All these parts are annular and continuous.

The sidewall 16 is preferably provided with an offset as at 30, thecontainer having slanting walls for nesting in similar containers. Ashoulder or offset at 30 comes to rest on an inwardly directed shoulder32, 32 of the next below container. Adjacent its upper edge the sidewall16 is provided with an inwardly directed bead 34 for a purpose to bedescribed, and if desired a strengthening rib 36.

The cover comprises a main body member 36 having adjacent the peripherythereof an inverted U-shaped construction 38 including an inner wall 40and an outer wall 42 having circumferentially spaced strengthening ribs44 connecting the same.

The outer wall 42 terminates in a horizontally extending annularoutwardly extending flange 44 which in turn terminates in a downwardextension 46, the latter having an inward projection 48 which is adaptedto snap under the abutment 28 to hold the parts in locked position. Theprojection 48 gradually extends on an incline as at 50 down to theterminal point 52 of the downward extension 46 allowing the user toinsert the tip of the finger therein to bend out the extension 46 enoughto remove the cover from the container.

The outwardly extending foot 26 on the container edge constructionextends radially outwardly past the extension 46 to provide for alateral bumping element protecting the container against sidewise shocksand also acting as a handle whereby carrying the container with thecover in place may be lifted and carried.

The inverted U-shape at the top of the container is gripped between theouter wall 42 and the extension 46 upon which is projection 48, so thatit will be seen that the parts are frictionally locked together and arealso mechanically locked together by projection 48. The bead at 34 verytightly impinges upon the outer aspect of wall 42 of the U-shaped member38 of the cover and it has been found that this construction providesfor extremely tight and safe closure for the container which will notopen accidentally.

lclaim:

1. ln combination, a container and a cover for the container, saidcontainer comprising:

a bottom, a connected sidewall, said sidewall having an upper edge, anoutwardly extending element on said edge, a downward extension on saidoutwardly extending element, said extension being spaced from thesidewall, an outwardly extending footlike member on the extension and anoutstanding abutment at the junction of the outstanding element and theextension;

said cover comprising a main body member having an upwardly extendingelement adjacent the periphery thereof, an outwardly extending elementon the upwardly extending element and a downward extension at theterminal edge of the outwardly extending element, an inwardly extendingprojection at the inner aspect of said extension adapted to snap inunder the abutment on the container with the outwardly extending elementof the cover in substantial contact with the outwardly extending elementat the edge of the container.

2. In combination, a container and a resilient cover for the container,said container comprising:

a bottom, a sidewall connected thereto, said sidewall having an upperedge, a multiple flange at said upper edge including an outstandingmember, a downward extension thereon spaced from the sidewall, aterminal outstanding member on the lower edge of the downward extension,and an outwardly extending abutment at the juncture of the outstandingmember and the extension;

said cover comprising a main body portion for disposition in thecontainer at the upper edge thereof, and a multiple flange on the mainbody portion at the periphery thereof; said cover flange comprising aU-shaped trough having an outer and an inner wall, an outstanding memberon the outer wall of the Ushaped member, a downturned extension at theperiphery of the cover outstanding member, and an inwardly projectingrim on the downturned extension, constructed and arranged to latch underthe abutment but being resilient enough to be capable of manual releasetherefrom to remove the cover.

minal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim andextends outwardly at least as far as the edge of the cover downtumedextension.

6. The combination of claim 1 including a bead on the sidewall of thecontainer in position to impinge upon the outer wall of the U-shapedtrough of the cover.

1. In combination, a container and a cover for the container, saidcontainer comprising: a bottom, a connected sidewall, said sidewallhaving an upper edge, an outwardly extending element on said edge, adownward extension on said outwardly extending element, said extensionbeing spaced from the sidewall, an outwardly extending footlike memberon the extension and an outstanding abutment at the junction of theoutstanding element and the extension; said cover comprising a main bodymember having an upwardly extending element adjacent the peripherythereof, an outwardly extending element on the upwardly extendingelement and a downward extension at the terminal edge of the outwardlyextending element, an inwardly extending projection at the inner aspectof said extension adapted to snap in under the abutment on the containerwith the outwardly extending element of the cover in substantial contactwith the outwardly extending element at the edge of the container.
 2. Incombination, a container and a resilient cover for the container, saidcontainer comprising: a bottom, a sidewall connected thereto, saidsidewall having an upper edge, a multiple flange at said upper edgeincluding an outstanding member, a downward extension thereon spacedfrom the sidewall, a terminal outstanding member on the lower edge ofthe downward extension, and an outwardly extending abutment at thejuncture of the outstanding member and the extension; said covercomprising a main body portion for disposition in the container at theupper edge thereof, and a multiple flange on the main body portion atthe periphery thereof; said cover flange comprising a U-shaped troughhaving an outer and an inner wall, an outstanding member on the outerwall of the U-shaped member, a downturned extension at the periphery ofthe cover outstanding member, and an inwardly projecting rim on thedownturned extension, constructed and arranged to latch under theabutment but being resilient enough to be capable of manual releasetherefrom to remove the cover.
 3. The combination of claim 1 wherein thecontainer terminal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projectingrim.
 4. The combination of claim 1 wherein the container terminaloutstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim in spacedrelation thereto.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the containerterminal outstanding member underlies the inwardly projecting rim andextends outwardly at least as far as the edge of the cover downturnedextension.
 6. The combination of claim 1 including a bead on thesidewall of the container in position to impinge upon the outer wall ofthe U-shaped trough of the cover.